The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-03-23

saw tnat my nina was thoroughly maue
up, and at the end OF the week Le wrote
again to Mr.. Sanders, requesting him 10
send in my name.
Once alter this Carroll spoke to me
aboutit.
Are you sure this is the life you want to
follow he asked.
"sure2 OF course am. Don't you want
me to go?'
Yes; that is il YOU really want to-"
His face was very serious; bat lie added,
with u smile
"And when you get TO be q Brigadier-
General don't get proud and refuse to
speak TO US fellows III plain clothes"
l pass my course at the Military Acad-
envy with a few words. / found it hard
struggle indeed tor the first two wears;
nothing but my pride, and the confidence
with which L had boosted that | would sue
coed. gave me the industry and perseyer-
ance needful TO success in TINT rigid school
When L graduated and went LONE as q
Brevet Second Lieutenant L was received
by father, Carroll, and numerous friends
and relatives, with evident pride and adj
miraiion. / had forgotten 10 say that oui
mother died long before. Carroll, espe-
cially, expressed the greatest satisfaction
with my military bearing, my smart new
uniform, and the fact that L was a
whole inch taller than he. 1t is
not necessary TO crowd this plain mar
rative with details. After some duty at
the West against the Indians 1 was or
dercd to Mexico, and what happened 10
me there have briefly told. The few lot
tiers that l received from home told me OF
great changes. Carroll had developed a
mechanical turn OF mind; lie lad invented
and patented u very useful domestic article,
/ the sale of which already brought him n
I nTs1 wi ,Nh i n.-
since made HIM very veal by. Fathers
health was decliniag; and was prepared
for the intelligence of his death, which
reached me at New York, where lay some
weeks in tho hospital. / have already
I told how CAROLS home became mine.
/ Poor, shattered wreck that l was, he
made hero of me; such ten
/ der and atfectionate treatment, during
n long lifetime, surely no soldier ever re-
ceived before. l come down TO our con-
versation of last night. The children had
, been put to bed, and we two were sitting
! together in the library. l was reading a
! book; he leaned back thoughtfully in his
chair, his gray head and fine face making
an almost perfect picture of our father.
Suddenly he turned TO me.
Carson, put up your book; / want to
! talk. The fact is, there's been something
on my mind for about forty years, and it
troubles me. See here"
He went to a secretary, and unlocking a
drawer brought me an envelope, addressed
TO me in fathers well-known round hand.
lie gave me that week before he died,
charging me to deliver it TO you. L have
not done so before, because other express
sions that he used led me to believe that
the letter related to subject that did not
wish you over to be informed about. But
of course that was wrong. L should have
complied with my fathers request long
| ago. Here is the letter."
Shall read it?"
"Yes."
! opened the envelope.
Dear Carson, my father said, there is
something that | want to say personally to
you; but my failing health warns me that
/ may never have an opportunity. SO /
will write ii out, and leave it with Carroll
for you. l need not say how proud We are
of your success in the military profession,
and of your good conduct in Mexico.
/ am the more gratifed, because / never
! expected so much of you. / supposed
YOU would be brave, for that is in the
blood; you came of good Revolutionary
stock; but did not think you had the in
dustry and application to make an army
officer; nor that you had the s,eIdiness OF
purpose TO pursue the military career after
you had entered upon it. L have been
agreeably disappointed in you. But you
| ought 10 know how much you are indebted
to the generosity and forbearance of your
brother for the opportunity to acquire this
profession.
you will remember how greatly Carroll
was agitated by my announcement of Mr..
Sanders offer, and by your eager claim for
, the appointment. There was more in his
conduct ut that time than / could account
for and / took him aside the same night
| and urged him to tell the whole truth.
His answer was given with tears. To
my establishment, he told me that he had
been long enamored of military life: that
he had conceived the idea of going to West
Point; that he had some weeks before
written to Mr. Sanders ON the sub iect; and
that the letter l had received was really an
answer to his own, although addressed to me.
Il was surprised to hear all this, but /
told Carroll that the matter must at once
be set right by full explanation of it to
you.
He begged me to do nothing of the
kind. Carson has set his heart upon it,
he said, and he must not be disappointed.
1t will hurt me dreadfully not to go, but it
will please me to give way to Carson. L
yielded at last to Lis entreaties, though the
tears stood in his eyes as he spoke of Civ
ing up his cneflSned project.
This, Carson, is the way you became
soldier. Never forget what you owe to
Carroll"
never shall forget, long as my life may
be spared. Indeed, what do / not owe to
this self sacrificing soul2
l handed him the open letter. He read
it in silence and returned it, with the re-
mark:
1T is rs I thought. 1 am sorry father
left this for you"
/ began to praise the generosity of his
conduct, but he quickly interrupted me.
"Now, really, Carson, you needn't talk
that way. What have L done that is so
praiseworthy? / have allowed you to 90
into the army instead of myself, and get
used up at that savage battle. Though if it
comes to that, and the twinkle came into
lis eye, II can't think i should have been
-. any danger. General Taylor couldn't
nave got me within a mile of Buena
VISTA"
Nonsense, Carroll! Remember what
father says in his letter about our Revolu-
tionary stock"
"WeH-I don't know; but guess it was
my duty to stay at home and invent the au-
tomato churn, so that we all might be COM
Portable cut Of the money 1t would bring"
i laid nv arm affectionately acroSs his